Another Ackerman - Ayanokoji x Snk

"We will continue riding as we have been, understood?" Levi's voice cut through the air with sharp authority, unwavering.

The moment I finished speaking, he immediately took command again without a hint of hesitation. In that instant, the entire squad—except for Eren—seemed to reaffirm their resolve.

"YES, SIR!" Petra's voice rang out firmly, masking any fear with sheer determination. The others followed in unison, their expressions unyielding.

But Eren did not.

"Eh? What?!?" His breathing turned erratic, his mind unable to process what he had just heard. "Did he just say to keep riding...? How far does he plan...? AND SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND US!"

The Female Titan was less than a dozen meters away, each of her strides shaking the ground beneath us.

"AH!! MORE OF THEM!!" Eren screamed as more scouting squads appeared around the Titan, trying desperately to halt her advance.

"QUICK! IF WE DON'T COVER THEM, SHE'LL KILL THEM AGAIN!" Desperation covered every inch of his face, his eyes reflecting the helplessness of someone powerless to act.

"EREN! LOOK AHEAD!"

"Gunther, why?!" His frustration grew by the second.

"DON'T BREAK FORMATION! MAINTAIN FULL SPEED!"

"What...? Erd...?" His disbelief turned into a shout.

"IF THE LEVI SQUAD CAN'T STOP HER, THEN WHO CAN?! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"

And in that instant, with terrifying ease, the Female Titan crushed one of the soldiers in her path.

The sickening sound of bones shattering and flesh being torn apart mixed with the echo of a scream that was cut off too soon. What remained of him... could no longer be called human.

"NOOOOOO!" Eren's voice broke. "ANOTHER ONE DIED! WE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM!"

The faces of everyone darkened, but no one spoke.

They all knew their place.

They couldn't stop.

They couldn't do anything.

"ONE IS STILL FIGHTING HER! IF WE GO NOW... WE CAN STILL HELP HIM!"

Eren wrestled with his own emotions, with the idea that running away could never be the right answer.

"EREN, KEEP MOVING FORWARD!" Petra screamed at him with all her strength.

But her words couldn't break through the barrier of his desperation.

"YOU WANT ME TO LOOK AWAY WHILE THEY FIGHT?! ARE YOU TELLING ME TO ESCAPE AND LEAVE THEM TO DIE?!"

...

...

"EXACTLY!! THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!! FOLLOW THE ORDERS!!"

...

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO LET THEM DIE!! IF YOU DON'T EXPLAIN IT TO ME, I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND!!"

And then, his eyes locked onto mine.

"KIYOTAKA! YOU KNOW! TELL ME WHY!"

His eyes burned with fury and desperation, searching for an answer. Something. Anything that would justify what was happening.

My gaze remained cold, completely unshaken. Neither Eren's desperation, nor the rage behind his words, nor the anguish on his face managed to change my expression. The echo of his scream still lingered in the air when I finally spoke.

"Because the mission is more important than their lives."

Eren flinched at my words. The disbelief and anger flared in his eyes.

"Because your duty is not to save them. Not to fight. Not to avenge them."

"Your only task... is to keep moving forward."

His jaw clenched so tightly it could have shattered, and his hands gripped the reins of his horse with crushing force.

"Do you think that's enough?! THAT ABANDONING THEM IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?!"

"No." My voice was firm, unwavering. "But it's necessary."

"THAT'S A DAMN EXCUSE!"

"Is it?" I looked at him sideways, my tone devoid of doubt. "Then tell me, Eren. How many of us will die if you stop?"

"..."

"If you follow your instincts and turn back right now, how many more soldiers will fall because their only defense is a useless hope? How many will be crushed like that soldier just now? How many more names will be added to the list of the dead?"

Eren's horse galloped wildly beneath him, but the real storm raged within his mind. It wasn't fear of the Titan that haunted him—it was the decision. The uncertainty of what was right. The internal battle tearing his soul apart.

"If you get off that horse, if you fight, if you lose yourself in the moment, if you don't follow the strategy..."

My voice turned colder, sharper.

"Then you will die, too."

Eren gritted his teeth so hard it was almost audible. His gaze, filled with powerlessness and despair, stayed locked on mine.

"BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" His voice broke under the weight of the moment.

I held his gaze, unyielding, like an unbreakable wall.

"You don't need to understand."

A heavy silence settled between us, so thick it felt like the air had stopped moving.

"You just need to obey."

Eren swallowed hard. His heart pounded wildly, fear and anger warring inside him, but his horse did not veer off course. Slowly, he brought a trembling hand to his mouth, still locked in an unseen battle within himself. He knew that in this moment, his decision was crucial.

I watched him carefully, assessing the situation. From here, it was a matter for Levi's squad. If Eren transformed, at least we had a chance to continue the mission. If he didn't... there was no turning back.

"EREN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DON'T STOP NOW!" Petra shouted, her voice breaking with desperation. "YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO STOP IF YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER!" Her eyes reflected fear and anguish, her concern for Eren's decision. "Didn't you promise us?!"

The weight of her words crashed down on him, but Eren remained silent, his eyes lost in the horizon. The anguish and doubt marked his every move. Their eyes met, and it seemed Eren had made his decision.

"Eren," Levi's voice interrupted the storm of thoughts consuming him. "You're right. If you want to do it, then do it."

The impact of those words struck like lightning.

"CAPTAIN!" Petra exclaimed, incredulous.

Levi, as calm as ever, continued, "This is what I know: He's a real monster, and I'm not talking about his Titan strength. No matter how much you suppress him, no matter how strong the cage... Forcing his consciousness into submission is something no one can do."

An interesting way of saying Eren was, quite literally, impossibly stubborn. There was a shared understanding in Levi's words—a painful truth only those who had lived through the cruelty of war could comprehend.

Looking directly at Petra, Levi continued, "You and I agree because we've already lived through this. He hasn't." His gaze shifted back to Eren, his expression turning distant, indifferent. "Though... You can ignore what I said. Will you trust yourself, or us? The Survey Corps." His face held an almost terrifying calm. "I don't know what to tell you. It's always the same. No matter what choice you make, there's always uncertainty. Until we see the results, no one knows which is the right choice... The only thing we can do is have faith. Faith in our decision, so that, if possible, we don't regret it."

Levi's words cut deep into Eren. His gaze turned forward, and slowly, his trembling hand reached for his mouth, but before he could act, Petra whispered the words none of us dared to say louder:

"Have faith..."

Memories flooded Eren's mind—the faith Levi's squad had placed in him. The scars on Petra's hands, on Aurou, Erd, and Gunther. They had believed in him, even as their own hearts pounded with fear.

"GHHHHHHH!" Eren let out a frustrated cry, his body trembling with indecision.

"EREN! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! DECIDE NOW!" Levi's voice cut through the tension, sharp and merciless.

The pressure was unbearable, but finally, Eren shouted with newfound resolve:

"I'LL FOLLOW YOU!"

His voice rang with true determination—something had changed within him.

And at that moment, the Female Titan accelerated.

"THE TARGET HAS PICKED UP SPEED!" Gunther shouted.

"RUN! WE CAN STILL ESCAPE!" Levi commanded, urgency in his voice.

The Titan was closing in. Terror gripped our hearts.

"CAPTAIN!" Petra screamed in desperation.

"MOVE FORWARD!" Levi's order split the air.

At that moment, the Titan was upon us, ready to strike.

Check Mate

...

¡¡¡¡¡¡FIRE!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!

"EHHHHH?!" Eren and the others watched in complete disbelief at what had just happened. Their eyes were wide open, their breathing ragged from the shock, and adrenaline still coursing through their bodies.

Levi, unfazed, gave his next orders with the same unwavering authority as always.

"Move a little further to the point where we'll leave the horses and switch to the omni-directional mobility gear." His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.

Still catching their breath, everyone listened attentively.

"Move separately from me for now," Levi continued as he pulled out his mobility gear and adjusted it with precision. "I'll leave the group's orders to Kiyotaka."

My eyes met Levi's for a brief moment. No further explanation was needed.

"Keep Eren hidden at a safe distance. Take care of my horse. Is that clear?"

He cast one last look of absolute seriousness before firing his grappling hooks and vanishing into the trees like a bolt of lightning.

...

...

Eren, still with his mouth agape and eyes filled with astonishment, barely managed to react.

"WHAT?! No way...!" His mind struggled to process the unthinkable. "They wanted to capture that Titan... alive?"

His words hung in the air, and then, euphoria exploded within the squad.

"HOW ABOUT THAT, EREN?!" Gunther shouted with a triumphant grin.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?! WE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO CAPTURE THAT THING!" Erd exclaimed proudly, his breath still heavy from excitement.

"THIS IS THE POWER OF THE SCOUT REGIMENT!" Petra cheered, her voice vibrating with the intensity of the moment.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US, YOU BIG IDIOT!!" Aurou threw at him, laughing through his adrenaline.

Eren could barely believe it.

Petra turned to him with a beaming smile, the kind of expression that conveyed the sheer satisfaction of achieving the impossible.

"Do you understand now?"

The astonishment on Eren's face slowly shifted. First, a slight curve at the corners of his lips... then, a genuine smile, filled with excitement, pride, and respect.

"YES!!!"